Aerating shower head



Aug. 23, 1960-- cs. Q. RIPLEY, JR

AERATING SHOWER HEAD Original Filed Dec. 21. 1953 FIG. I.

2 w L W R 0 N N m Gttorneg United States Patent AERATING SHOWER HEAD Glenn Q. Ripley, Jr., 1609 E. Grandview Blvd., Erie, Pa.

Original application Dec. 21, 1953, Ser. No. 399,189,

now Patent No. 2,842,347, dated July 8, 1958. Divided and this application July 7, 1958, Ser. No. 746,769

4 Claims. (Cl. 239-431) This invention relates to attachments for showers and, more particularly, to attachments for showers wherein a quantity of air is introduced and dispersed in the stream of water flowing therefrom to purify the water and to prevent the water from splashing when it strikes a person and the water is thereby aerated.

This patent application is a division of application for patent, Serial No. 399,189, filed in the Patent Office on December 21, 1953, which issued as Patent No. 2,842,- 347 on July 8, 1958. r

In attachments for showers made according to prior inventions, the design of the appliance was usually complicated and utilized a plurality of screens therein to break up the jet of water into small particles and to allow air to be mingled therewith. The screens were subject to clogging due to deposits in the water and from the piping of the plumbing system.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to overcome the above and other defects in prior shower heads and, more particularly, it is an object to provide an aerator for a shower or conduit which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and eflicient in use.

Another object of this invention is to provide an attachment for a shower which can be utilized on conventional showers.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention cbnsists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows an exploded view of parts of an aerating shower head less two parts thereof, the other two parts being shown in Figs. 4 and Fig. 2 isa side view of a part of the shower head shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the shower head in assembled position;

Fig. 4 is a view of the control disk for use with the device shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the deflector member used in the device shown in Fig. 1.

Now with more particular reference to the drawing, a shower bath head is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. A body 610 of the shower head has an end member 612a having a central bore 611 and radially spaced bores 612. A ledge 613 is provided in the central bore 611 and is disposed under a deflecting member 614 which is supported thereon. The deflecting member 614 has radial spider members 615 which support segmental members 616 against which the stream of water impinges. A disk member 620 is adapted to be disposed on a ledge 621 and a key slot 622 is provided in the disk member 620 to rest on a key 623 to hold the disk member 620 against rotation. A mating disk 625 is adapted to rest on a ledge 626 below the disk 621i and a regulating handle 628 projects out through one of the slots 629. The disk 620 has centrally disposed holes 630 which allow water to flow therethrough and through a central aperture 631 in the disk 625 and to impinge upon the spider members 615 and segmental members 616 to give a dispersed spray of water. Radially disposed holes 632 are adapted to register with radial holes 633 in the disk 620 when the disk 625 is rotated to the proper position.

A ball 767 is disposed in each bore 612 with legs 708 engaging a ledge 660. The legs 708 are fastened to the ball 707 at 709 and ends 710 and 711 hold the ball 707 in place in the shower head. Water from the holes 633 impinges on the ball 707, is aerated, and is discharged in an aerated spray.

A washer or gasket 643 is adapted to rest on top of the disk 620 and under a closure 634 which has a threaded edge 635 adapted to engage female threads 636 in the body 610. The closure 634 has an outwardly extending member 637 having a threaded opening 638 therethrough to be connected to a pipe or other plumbing fitting.

When the closure 634 is attached to a water line and the shower member assembly as indicated and the disk 625 rotated to bring the holes 632 out of alignment with the holes 633, water'will be forced through the holes 630 and through the aperture 631 whereupon it will impinge upon the member 614and be dispersed. Air being drawn through the slots 629 will mix with water from the holes 633 and will provide a stinging spray. To provide a variation of the type of spray, the disk 625 will be rotated to bring the holes 632 into alignment with-the holes 633 whereupon the water will be discharged therethrough. The water will impinge on the balls 707 and be aerated, thereby forming a sparkling bubble filled spray. One ball 767 may be supported over each bore 612 and one over the central bore 611.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but it will be understood that the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an earclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An aerating device comprising a hollow body member, an end member having a central aperture and a plurality of spaced apertures, said end member extending across one end of said hollow, said apertures being of relatively large size, a circumferential ledge in said body member spaced from said end member, a first disk resting on said ledge, a second disk resting on said first disk, one said disk having a large central aperture, said large aperture overlying a plurality of small apertures in said other disk, both said disks having a plurality of spaced apertures adapted to register with similar apertures in the other said disk, one said disk rotatable to bring said spaced apertures in said disk out of alignment with the spaced apertures in the other said disk whereby the flow of liquid through said spaced apertures is stopped, said spaced apertures being aligned with said relatively large spaced apertures in said end member and said central aperture in said disk being aligned with said central aperture in said end member, and apertures in said body member between said ledge and said disks.

2. The aerating device recited in claim 1 wherein means is provided in said large apertures in said end member for dispersing water passing through said small apertures in said disk.

3. The aerating device recited in claim 2 wherein said dispersing means comprises a member having a portion of the surface thereof conforming to the form of a ball.

4. The aerating device recited in claim 3 wherein a spider member is disposed in said central aperture in said end member for dispersing water passing through said central aperture in said disk.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Ripley July 8, 1958 

